


From Flightless Crow to Graceful Eagle

by CeruleanShockwave



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Hinata is an arrogant little prick, Kageyama is a cinnamon bun, big brother Oikawa, sass king Kageyama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 00:42:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14367231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanShockwave/pseuds/CeruleanShockwave
Summary: Kageyama collapsed from fatigue during a match, and now the entire team except Asahi and Sugawara is blanking him, even going so far as to beat him up. One day, after a particularly bad beating, Oikawa finds him and decides to take Kageyama under his wing. He suggests to Kageyama, who is fed up with all the abuse, to transfer schools, and they plot sweet revenge against the Flightless Ravens. Meanwhile, already struggling without its genius setter and in turn its best weapon, the Freak-Quick, what will Karasuno do when they receive a giant shock at the Spring Tournament vs Aoba Johsai?





	From Flightless Crow to Graceful Eagle

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: OOC almost all characters. I'm writing this fic for my own personal enjoyment, okay guys? I just wanted to write a BAMF!Kageyama even more than he is in canon because we see that with Hinata all the time and I think Hinata is badass in canon anyway ;P.
> 
> This is inspired by a fic called 'Evolve' over on FanFiction.net where Hinata wants to improve as an individual but he gets expelled for some reason and goes to Seijoh to get mentored by Oikawa. So I figured my baby Kags deserved one too.
> 
> This story is also posted on FanFiction.net under the username 'IntangibleFreedom'.

_It was a single game, damn it,_ thought Tobio Kageyama as he slumped down onto the bench after another grueling day of volleyball practice. As per usual, the rest of the team, with the exceptions being Asahi and Sugawara, had ignored him.

He knew why. He had messed up quite a few tosses in their recent game versus Aoba Johsai, and cost the team a win, ousting them from a local tournament sponsored by some big-shot company. But still, that was no reason to blank him completely! Hinata had cost them many points in many matches as well – take the practice matches against Nekoma for example – so why boycott Kageyama? Kageyama, who had showed up and played even though he had been tired and worn from looking after his mother (she had fallen ill with a fever and could barely move), because his father was out of town on business. Kageyama, who had offered more than once to let Sugawara substitute for him because he  _knew_ he wasn't at the top of his game. Kageyama, who had done his very best, given all he could, done just as much as – and even more than – Daichi had asked of him!

Kageyama put his head in his hands and sighed. How he hated life.

Asahi sat down next to Kageyama, a comforting smile on his lips.

"Hey, Kageyama," he told him. "Don't get too downhearted. They're all being idiots. I really didn't expect this from Daichi, Nishinoya and Tanaka especially. Me and Koushi plan to give them – and by that we mean the whole team – a piece of our minds later. We're going to tell them just exactly what they've been doing to you. Hopefully they'll come around. If they don't... well, just keep your head down and don't rise to the bait they give you. For the record, the both of us are absolutely disgusted with Daichi and the rest. Ignore them and concentrate on getting into a good university – I don't think anyone will follow you there. I bet you could get into a top school if you studied hard enough; if not that, your incredible athletic ability will get you in for sure! You'd grow so well at a place where you are appreciated, I just know it!"

"Yeah," Kageyama managed a small smile. "Thanks, Asahi-san."

He meant it. Asahi and Sugawara had been his pillars through this whole horrible experience, and he would never be able to thank them enough. And it must be so hard for Asahi to put his fear of Daichi behind him and defend Kageyama to him! Kageyama wondered what kind of inner strength was required for that.

"Ah, I don't mind it!" Asahi laughed, putting a hand to the nape of his neck sheepishly. Then he turned more serious. "The freak quick attack – God-Fast Spike, is it called? – that everyone praises Hinata about? It isn't possible without you, Kageyama. You know, you're the most talented player I've ever seen, and that includes the professional volleyball players. You have so much potential, so much scope to be the best. I want to see your name listed as number one in Japan – no, in the world! Number one volleyball player in the world! But at the same time, I know you won't let success get to your head. That is a quality that will make you better than any other person, even if you have no talent whatsoever (which you do), because it'll inspire you to work harder, run faster, spike more forcefully, save quicker, block harder, set better than you currently are doing, and if you're that way, constantly working on the points you know are weak – then, Kageyama, then you will be unstoppable! No force will be able to defeat you!"

Asahi's cheeks were a little flushed after his small rant, and he gave another sheepish laugh. "Ah, I guess I spiralled off on another tangent! Sorry, Kageyama!"

Kageyama's heart lifted and swelled. Asahi-san was right. He could be the best if he worked and worked and worked. His current best wasn't good enough, but one day it just might. So he would do it. He could do it, because Asahi-san believed in him!

"No, Asahi-san! I can't thank you and Sugawara-senpai enough! You believe in me, and that alone is enough for me to do my best, to reach my limits and to break past them! To reach into that infinite void where I can only improve! So I will do it! I'll do my best to be the best!"

"Kageyama..." Asahi looked amazed. "That drive of yours... my God, even Hinata has never been that determined in all the time I've known the two of you!"

He got up with a smile. "Well then, we better go and talk to those idiots. See you tomorrow, Kageyama, and I'll tell you how it goes!"

"See you, Asahi-san!" Kageyama smiled back, and picked up his bag. He was just about to exit the gym when he was confronted by Hinata.

"Oi, Bakageyama!" yelled the short boy up into his face.

Kageyama moved out of his way and kept walking.

"Oi, King," said Tsukishima's calm voice from in front of him.

Kageyama swerved around him and kept walking.

"Hey, can't you hear us?" asked the snide tone of Ennoshita.

Kageyama ignored him and kept walking.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back. Someone had kicked him. Judging by the time it had taken, it was either Ennoshita or Hinata. Tsukishima lacked the drive, but Ennoshita was closest, and Hinata was fast enough to get to him in that few seconds.

He didn't react, only stopped and turned around. He knew what was coming.

Every day, these three would drag him to the back of the gym and pummel him till he was thoroughly bruised. The bruises were light and would heal within a day, and if not he could just shove them off as a volleyball hitting him the wrong way. Telling Asahi or Sugawara would only make them worry, and he couldn't do that.

This time, they beat him within an inch of his life. Kageyama could barely breathe, so intense was the pain.

"If anyone asks, a bunch of street thugs did a number on you," came Hinata's venomous voice. "If you tell anyone, you'll have hell to pay."

The three then walked away, and Kageyama's eyes slid closed.

The sound of approaching footsteps made the black-haired boy open his eyes. He slowly sat up, aching in a million different places, and saw a hazy brown-topped figure, a blur of white and turquoise where the chest should be if they were a human, standing before him.

_White and turquoise? Aoba Johsai colours..._

"What the hell?" Toru Oikawa asked furiously, hands on his hips. "You let them do that to you?"

* * *

Oikawa had a hunch that something wasn't right. He didn't know what or why, but his hunches were always right. So he told Iwa-chan that he had some business to take care of, and allowed his feet to carry him to the place his gut pointed out – in some bushes behind the Karasuno High School gym. Oikawa had learned not to question his instincts, so he just watched and waited.

Imagine his shock when he saw Kageyama, his ex-kouhai, dragged behind the gym by the tall blonde first year (Tsukishima something-or-the-other?) and another black-haired boy with a mean look in his eyes (Oikawa vaguely remembered him sitting on the bench and giving Kageyama the occasional look of hatred when the setter's back was turned), and beaten within an inch of his life.

Oikawa's heart panged, and in that instant, he felt any rage and anger he had ever had against Kageyama melt away.

He had already stopped hating Kageyama a long time ago, recognising his kouhai's talent and realising his own childish jealousy for what it was. Some of the vestiges of that anger had been left, however, and Oikawa had made no move to rid himself of them. And now, it was all gone.

But no, now was not the time for that.

Oikawa moved closer and spat out, "What the hell? You let them do that to you?"

Kageyama stared at him in fright, and Oikawa extended his hand, sighing tiredly.

"Why?" Kageyama asked, clutching the hand and pulling himself up weakly. "Why are you helping me now, Oikawa-senpai – Oikawa-san?" He rushed to correct his mistake. "Don't you hate me?"

"It's fine, go with senpai," Oikawa grunted. "And Tobio-chan," here he flashed his trademark dazzling smile, "I stopped hating you a long time ago when I recognised that you're talented beyond belief – I should be proud that you look up to me! I also realised that I can help you make that blossom into something absolutely amazing. My jealousy was childish. I should be sorry, and I am."

"I... don't be… thank you... senpai," murmured Kageyama deliriously.

"Anyway, since I'm a wonderful senpai and love to help my kouhais..." Oikawa grinned victoriously. "I'm getting you transferred out of that shit excuse of a school. Not only does their volleyball team suck in terms of the members' personalities, but their education system is terrible too! Come to Aoba Johsai, and help make us the best. Help make us win nationals."

"What?" Kageyama's eyes flew wide, and he stared up into Oikawa's face. "Seriously? Will they even want me?"

"They wanted you anyway," shrugged Oikawa. "And they'll be so glad to have you once they find out about... this."

He gestured to the various assortment of bruises on Kageyama's body, and the aforesaid boy flushed.

"Please don't, Oikawa-senpai," he practically begged. "They said if I told anyone, they said if I told anyone, I'd have – have hell to – to pay, and Oikawa-senpai, you don't understand what it's like to be beaten up every day, not that I can't handle it, but it's so  _humiliating,_  and oh, God, if it were doubled I can't even imagine... please, senpai, I can't tell anyone..." Kageyama blubbered, tears finally falling, sliding down his cheeks and dropping into his lap as he slid back down the wall he was propped up against from sheer exhaustion.

"You didn't." Oikawa's voice was uncharacteristically firm as he knelt down to Kageyama's level, wiping away his broken junior's seemingly never-ending tears with his thumbs. "What happened was I saw it and reported it as abuse. You requested a transfer of schools for certain family reasons which you could not disclose."

"It's – it's that simple?" hiccupped Kageyama, still crying a little.

"Yeah," Oikawa smiled a genuine smile. "It kind of is."

"But what if they all hate me? I made amends and became friends with Kindaichi and Kunimi, but what about the others in the school? What will I do then?"

"Be the best team player you can. Offer encouraging words, cheers and other things when your teammates do well, and say 'don't mind, don't mind' when they miss a spike, or fumble a few receives, or don't save a ball. Smile a little more, that should help too," Oikawa added, wiping away another few tears off Kageyama's cheeks.

Kageyama mumbled something even Oikawa's admittedly sharp ears didn't catch.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Kitagawa Daiichi tried to get me to smile once and when I did, a first year begged me not to go through with whatever murder or other heinous crime I was planning, while the other first, second and third years, plus the coach, hid in a corner of the gym," muttered Kageyama, a little louder, raising his head to show the flush on his cheeks.

Oikawa burst out laughing. "It can't be that bad, come on! Try! See, like this!" he demonstrated one of his own blinding smiles.

Kageyama forced the corners of his lips up, staring hard at Oikawa-senpai to see how he did it. He stretched his lips and widened his eyes, trying his hardest.

Oikawa's smile dropped to be replaced by a look of shocked horror. "Oh, my God. That's your best smile? It's even scarier than that new horror movie Iwa-chan loves!" he shouted.

"I'm – I'm sorry," Kageyama mumbled, embarrassed.

"Don't be." Oikawa shook his head. "Let's just focus on getting you home and patched up now, okay?"

"Mm," nodded Kageyama. He stood up slowly, supported by Oikawa.

They walked to Kageyama's house in silence, Oikawa already plotting the revenge he and his team were going to get on Karasuno for treating his kouhai like this.

* * *

One long week had passed since the day Sugawara saw Asahi boosting Kageyama's morale, and the gentle grey-haired 'mom of the team' was worried. Kageyama hadn't shown up to practice the whole week, and when Sugawara asked that idiot Hinata if he had been coming to school, the answer he received was, "No, and we're all better off without that stupid King bossing us around. I could easily do the Freak-Quick with you, Sugawara-senpai, or some other setter! Just because Kageyama is good doesn't mean he's the best!"

Sugawara had blanked the kid just for that.

It didn't help that his and Asahi's attempt to talk to Daichi had ended in him storming off, a mess of barely contained rage, and Daichi himself also fuming.

He hadn't talked to Daichi for three days either, so angry was he at his boyfriend.

Suga's heart hurt. This wasn't the same Daichi he had fallen in love with. This was a brutal, blinded idiot who had gotten so used to easy wins due to the spikers scoring points that he did not realise the importance of a setter to the team, especially one as brilliant as Kageyama.

Daichi had approached him earlier in the day, saying they needed to talk. Sugawara had agreed, but warily. What did his boyfriend want?

The grey-haired setter trudged across the gym to Daichi, thinking angrily how horrible the other boy was being. He was blaming Kageyama for being off his game and not telling Daichi to bench him, even though the genius setter had offered more than once to have Sugawara substitute for him, repeatedly telling Daichi he wouldn't be able to do the Freak-Quick. But Daichi had insisted, and it had ended in Kageyama collapsing mid-match, and the entire team save for himself and Asahi blanking the dark-haired setter completely, leading to the current – and admittedly very messy – situation.

"What is it, Daichi?" he asked brusquely, not bothering with the endearment 'Dai-chan' he usually used when they were alone.

"Suga..." Daichi ran a hand through his dark brown hair. "Why are you being so difficult? It's not like you. All we did was show that arrogant setter Kageyama his place. You of all people should be on our side. He stole your spot on the team!"

"Show him his place? Stole my spot?" Sugawara repeated dangerously. "Me being difficult? Kageyama earned that place. You and I both know I'm not a better setter than him. He's apologised so many times for his perceived 'taking my place on the team', and I've pacified him an equal number of times. And as for arrogant? Any arrogant player wouldn't even bother to show up for practice, let alone put in the number of hours Kageyama does!"

"Oh, really? Then why has he been ditching for a week?"

"I don't know, but he hasn't come to school either, so it must be something serious!"

"Why are you defending him? It's not right!"

"It's not right?  _It's not right?_ "

"Yeah! Sugawara, stop acting like a whiny brat and listen to me! You and Asahi both refuse to see sense!"

"No, you know what, Daichi? That's it! You've changed so much. You're not the boy I fell for. So, goodbye. We're over."

And with that, he turned around and stalked angrily off.

* * *

The Karasuno High School Boys' Volleyball Club were gearing up for the Spring Tournament. It had been a month and a half since the fight Sugawara and Daichi had had, and Kageyama hadn't shown up even once to either practice or school since then.

Asahi and Sugawara were worried. They  _needed_  Kageyama back, and not just because they were concerned for his well-being. Sugawara had attempted to perform the Freak-Quick with Hinata, but it just hadn't clicked for either of them. His tosses were too slow, for starters, and Kageyama's ability to pinpoint exactly where the ball would go was the main reason why the Freak-Quick even worked.

Hinata, meanwhile, seemed worried too, but not because of the absence of the one setter who could help him perform the Freak-Quick.

"Oh, God, what will I do if – if I don't get to hit the ball!" he wailed. "What will I do if I don't get a chance to spike and score?"

_If you don't get a chance to spike the ball, you don't get a chance to spike the ball! If you don't score, you don't score! It's as simple as that._ Asahi thought in irritation. Before his spiking ability had come to the fore and he had become the ace, there had been many matches where he had not touched the ball at all except to receive it. He had never felt resentment about it, though. He knew his chance would come, if only he were meant for it. There was no need to behave as if spiking was the only thing one could do in a volleyball game.

"Stop it," he told Hinata in a slightly cross tone. "You'll do whatever else you can to help us win against Aoba Johsai, that's all. You won't whine and cry about it, because decoys don't do that kind of thing."

Surprisingly, Hinata shut up, and Asahi breathed an inward sigh of relief. Talking to people sternly was  _not_  his forte at all.

* * *

Aoba Johsai's starting line-up was the same as always, except for a single player whom Hinata did not recognise. The boy had his head down, and his hair was covered by a loose cap. He wore the #9 jersey – same as Kageyama, Hinata realised with a jolt – and was of a leanly muscular build. Oikawa stood protectively on his left, one hand resting on the boy's shoulder, and Iwaizumi flanked him on the right, mirroring Oikawa's position. Hinata shuddered at the poisonous glares the captain and ace of Aoba Johsai respectively were directing him. It almost seemed as if they were trying to protect the Mystery Boy from Hinata – and the rest of the Karasuno team.

Hinata frowned. The boy seemed a little familiar. Who could he be, wondered the orange-haired boy, as Mystery Boy jogged to the bench, the cap obscuring all his features from view, and sat down, throwing a towel over his head and taking off the cap. This did not give Hinata any idea of his facial features, though, for he had switched the garments so quickly that none of the Karasuno team had seen anything.

Hinata shook his head and moved into position. He watched Oikawa leap like a gazelle and slam the ball straight down into Tsukishima's arms. Though the glasses-wearing six-foot-one middle blocker's receiving had improved, only someone of Nishinoya's or Daichi's calibre could hope to match up to Oikawa's infamous jump serves, and the ball flew out of the court, scoring one service ace for Aoba Johsai.

The match continued in this way, Oikawa managing to score six service aces in quick succession until Nishinoya finally was able to receive the seventh, sending it to Sugawara to toss.

Hinata yelled, "Over here, Sugawara-senpai!" as he jumped hard, but to his surprise, no ball flew his way. He looked over to the other side of the court to see that Asahi, being totally unhindered by any blockers, had slammed the ball down into Aoba Johsai's court, winning them a point.

Oikawa merely smiled at this and called loudly, "Well, I suppose you guys had to score at some point, right?"

Hinata expected Iwaizumi to smack the brown-haired setter like he usually would at such a comment, but Aoba Johsai's ace merely smirked and hid a snigger behind his hand. The rest of the team were not so discreet, and Matsukawa – one of the middle blockers – actually had the gall to laugh.

Hinata felt rage well up in him, and he called at the same time as Asahi did, "One more toss, Sugawara-san!"

Sugawara's fingertips touched the ball just as Hinata's jump reached its topmost point, and the orange-haired boy, landing quickly, was once again surprised by the fact that no ball had come his way.

Sugawara had tossed the ball to Asahi, who had repositioned himself just behind Hinata, and the second the blockers' feet touched the ground, Asahi leaped – and spiked.

The ball slammed hard into the wooden flooring of the volleyball court, and Sugawara pumped his fist, yelling, "Yeah!" Asahi high-fived him and grinned a beatific grin.

The rest of the first set flew by in Hinata's eyes. He didn't get a chance to spike at all, instead acting as a decoy. Asahi and Tanaka scored the main points, Asahi and Sugawara executing the 'Pipe' move they had learned from Nekoma High to absolute perfection. But even though Karasuno fought their hardest, Aoba Johsai was no slouch. The sheer power of Oikawa to bring out the best in his teammates, and his own abilities as a setter, helped Seijoh claw their way back from 16 – 8 in favour of Karasuno, to reach a win in the first set of 25 – 20.

Oikawa smiled and shot Hinata a victory sign before walking off the court. "We won the set even without our secret weapon," he said in a singsong voice before heading over to the bench to huddle around the coach with the rest of his teammates.

* * *

The break would end in a few minutes. The second set was about to begin, and Hinata was nervous. The Aoba Johsai team, seemingly done preparing, assembled into a line, and Hinata strained to see the bench, noticing that Mystery Boy was gone and that Seijoh's #6, Shigeru Yahaba, now sat calmly on the bench, a small smirk on his lips.

_Huh...! Mystery Boy's playing?!_ Hinata thought frantically.  _And we don't know anything about him... this could be bad._

Daichi gathered the Karasuno team into a huddle.

"Guys... you noticed that Yahaba is sitting out this one and that that unknown is playing now, yes? That means he's good.  _Very_  good, because Oikawa isn't dumb enough to switch out a player like Yahaba for a newbie. But don't get nervous. We can do this if we keep calm. Karasuno... fight!"

"Karasuno... fight!" the team repeated, and they assembled into a line too. The whistle blew, and both teams walked onto the court.

Hinata's eyes searched anxiously for the #9 jersey, and he found it right in front of him. The player was a lot taller than he was. He dragged his eyes up to look at the player's face, and what he saw shocked him.

Kageyama stood on the Aoba Johsai side of the court, Oikawa and Iwaizumi flanking him protectively, seeming completely at home in the white and turquoise volleyball jersey, a dark, dangerous smirk on his lips. His blue eyes glistened with hatred, and his voice was laced with venom when he uttered the words, "Long time no see,  _Shrimp_."

Hinata couldn't breathe. His world spun. No words would enter his brain. He felt like a machine which had short-circuited.

_Where how why when what scary Oikawa team opposite Aoba Johsai Kageyama why?!_

"What, no words for me? No yells, no shouts of, 'what are you doing, idiot King'? No? Cat got your tongue?" Kageyama asked, his tone a calm, questioning one, giving off an air of innocent curiosity, with just that tiny, practically unnoticeable hint of poison to it. "They probably did. I suppose without the Freak-Quick you were probably just too bad for Nekoma, and the only reason you're here is because Kenma-san and Kuroo-san were both injured and not playing..." he let his sentence trail off, pouting a little.

That  _had_  been the reason why they had beaten Nekoma – they wouldn't have stood a chance if Kenma and Kuroo had been there – but Hinata wasn't going to admit that to Kageyama. He settled for staring angrily at the bossy King.

"Well, well, well, will you look at that," the blue-eyed boy continued in the same soft tone, affecting a surprised expression. "I seem to have hit a sore spot. What do you say, Oikawa-senpai?" he asked, turning to the dark-haired third-year, who had burst into dramatically fake tears.

"You have learned well, my protégé," Oikawa sobbed out, wiping frantically at his crocodile tears. "There is no longer anything I can teach you in the field of subtle trash-talking. Go out into the world, my child, and spread your wings. You have learned from the best."

Kageyama cracked up at this, laughing hard. Turnip-Head slapped him on the back, yelling, "Nice one!" and Hinata frowned. Didn't Turnip-Head  _hate_  Kageyama? And what about Oikawa? Didn't they have some shit going on? And why the hell would Kageyama transfer?

As if on cue, Oikawa looked into Hinata's eyes. Brown locked on brown, and Hinata shrank under Oikawa's hard stare.

"Tobio-chan is one of the most amazing people ever to grace the volleyball scene," Oikawa said quietly, the intensity in his eyes increasing. "You idiots from Karasuno, you had something absolutely wonderful, and you tossed it away like it was rubbish. Now we've got him. We have his back, something you dumb flightless ravens failed to do. He's ours now. And we don't plan on letting him go anytime soon."

And with that, the players of Aoba Johsai moved to their respective positions on the court, leaving the entire Karasuno side dumbfounded.

* * *

Hinata readied himself to receive the fearsome serve that was undoubtedly going to come. It was Aoba Johsai's serve, and they seemed to be waiting for something. Oikawa clutched the ball in his hands, rolling it like he was thinking about what to do.

Suddenly, Oikawa passed the ball to Kageyama, and Hinata smirked a little bit. He had been practicing receiving Kageyama's jump serves for so long that it was almost second nature to him now. Even though it had been some time, he was confident that he could do it. He got into the position that worked best for him and waited, knowing Kageyama would target him, thinking he was a weak receiver.

Kageyama held the ball for a minute, and then he tossed it up, up, up, so high that it almost reached the third level of the spectators' seating.

The second he tossed it, he began to run, and when he gained as much momentum as possible...

He pushed off the ground with his tiptoes and  _flew_.

Kageyama sprang from the hardwood floor, the blinding speed at which he leaped making it look like he was flying, jumping so high that his feet were parallel with the bottom of the net, hand positioned perfectly to slam the ball down into the Karasuno side of the court.

And slam he did.

Hinata could do nothing but watch as the blue and yellow patterned volleyball smashed into his forearms, the sheer force and accuracy knocking him back a few feet. The ball dropped down onto the court, the  _'thunk'_  sound it made sounding too much like a noise of defeat.

Kageyama's lips stretched into a wicked smile.

"How – what?" was the only thing Hinata could think to say.

"Tobio-chan's had some time; he obviously wouldn't remain the same!" grinned Oikawa, slinging an arm around Kageyama's shoulders. "And he isn't called a genius for nothing!"

Hinata could only gape as Oikawa steered Kageyama away from the net, talking a mile a minute.

* * *

It was Oikawa's turn to serve, and he didn't fail to deliver, sacrificing accuracy for sheer power and putting everything he'd got into his famed jump serve. The serve smashed through Karasuno's ranks, too fast for anyone except perhaps Nishinoya to receive it. It bounced off Daichi's forearms and flew into one of the walls of the room, scoring Aoba Johsai  _another_  service ace.

After that first serve, Kageyama had done nothing but block, with the occasional spike thrown in. He had scored five points by spiking when the Crows least expected it and blocked a lot of the balls Karasuno had sent flying Aoba Johsai's way; though quite a few of Asahi or Tanaka's most powerful spikes had gotten through, and they scored a point when they used Hinata as a decoy (that only happened once, though; Kageyama seemed to have practically  _copied_  Aone from Date Tech's Read Block). And they  _did_  manage three service aces due to Yamaguchi's jump floater serve. Seijoh's only consistent scorers were Kindaichi and Iwaizumi, Nishinoya's saving skills being at the top of their game and preventing the so-called 'power school' from scoring too many points.

In fact, overall the score was quite even, Aoba Johsai ahead of Karasuno by only two points with a score of 19 – 17. But they needed to pull ahead. Daichi didn't want to lose another match. He wanted to  _win_ , damn it, and win they would.

"All right! Nice serve, Tsukishima!" he called to the lanky blonde middle blocker, who nodded and served the ball skimming the net. The libero, Shinji Watari, got to it just in time and saved it; the ball flew high up in the air, only for Kageyama to move to the exact spot where the ball dropped and toss it.

Toss it so fast that it all happened in a split second.

Toss it to the exact height of Kindaichi, who had leaped with his eyes shut to the place where there were no blockers.

Toss it so that Kindaichi could slam the ball down into the court, earning another point for Seijoh.

Toss it so as to cement Aoba Johsai's score of 20 with the goddamned  _Freak-Quick,_ Karasuno's trademark move.

Nobody on the Karasuno side even bothered to try and receive it. They just stood, mouths hanging open, as Kageyama and Kindaichi high-fived and laughed with the rest of the Seijoh team.

Hinata shook a little just looking at the way Kageyama seemed, so happy and carefree. It made him feel absolutely furious. What right did the arrogant King of the Court have to laugh and smile as if he was on top of the world? He needed to be taken down a few pegs.

Hinata glared at Kageyama's back, thinking of ways to get revenge.

And then the other boy turned to him, and a dark smirk crept across his lips.

_Game over,_  he mouthed to Hinata.  _Tiny wingless crow._

* * *

"Bring it," Kageyama breathed to Kindaichi as he swept past the spiky-haired middle blocker while changing positions.

"Send it to me," whispered Kindaichi back.

Kageyama was currently positioned as the main setter, while Kindaichi acted as the middle blocker. Oikawa stood in the vanguard position. The score was 24-23 in Seijoh's favour, and this last point meant everything. It meant even more than that to Kageyama, for if they succeeded with this last Freak-Quick, it would show that no matter however skilful Karasuno may have been, Aoba Johsai had succeeded in completely turning their own move against them.

It was Karasuno's serve, and Yamaguchi performed his infamous jump floater, which Watari managed to receive perfectly. He sent the ball flying towards Kageyama, who, out of the corner of his eye, saw Iwaizumi dash towards the right of the net, and Kindaichi towards the left.

He could  _see_  where Kindaichi would be able to spike it with the most force.

And so he tossed. Tossed so that the ball would land at the exact point Kindaichi required it to be.

Kageyama stepped back with a smile and watched as Kindaichi reared his arm back.

Watched as he slammed the ball down into the court, even as Tsukishima, Asahi and Sugawara leaped frantically towards the other side in a desperate attempt to block the ball. Even as Nishinoya dived to save the point, though they all knew it was totally futile.

Even as it hit the court with a sound of finality.

And then suddenly he was swept up in a large hug, Oikawa on one side, Kindaichi on the other, both crushing him, and then they were all around him, screaming, shouting, yells of happiness and pride filling the air around the Seijoh team.

"Seijoh, rule the court!" the Aoba Johsai team chanted. "Seijoh's King, Kageyama!"

Kageyama's cheeks flushed red with pleasure. His team... cheering him on...

Karasuno had never done this for him. Karasuno had never been half as supportive of him as Seijoh.

Now he was Aoba Johsai. Now he was one with his team.

The Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club... one of the best ones in the prefecture...

_He was a part of it._

* * *

Hinata stared as the Aoba Johsai players walked up to shake hands with the Karasuno team.

He couldn't shake the fact that someone else used his quick.  _His quick._  The quick that nobody else could even try.

Then Kageyama swept past him, and Hinata could practically  _see_ the confident, proud aura emanating from him.

"Oy, Bakageyama!" he yelled, despite all his instincts telling him not to.

Kageyama stopped in his tracks and gave Hinata a blank look that asked plain and clear  _why the hell are you talking to me?_

"What?" he said to the shorter boy in a bored tone.

"How could you use my quick?" Hinata demanded.

" _Your_  quick? How did the Freak-Quick ever belong to you?" asked Kageyama coolly.

"Because only  _I_  can do it!"

"Well, I'm sorry to have proved you wrong – oh, wait. I'm not sorry at all!" Kageyama flashed a bright smile that seemed more of his customary smirk than anything else, and then skipped off, following the rest of his new teammates.

Karasuno stared after their old setter, who seemed to have gained a newfound confidence, laughing and joking with the rest of his new team. Who seemed to have gotten  _even better_ , if that was actually possible, after he had left the Flightless Crows.

It felt like a spell had been cast over them. None of them could move a muscle. They couldn't speak a word. Even their lungs felt constricted.

_Why? Why would Kageyama leave our team?_

And then Daichi called loudly, breaking the silence, "Kageyama, wait!"

The blue-eyed boy's shoulders stiffened visibly. He jogged to the front of the group, presumably to speak with his captain, then walked back, stood in front of the Karasuno team and asked in a long-suffering voice, "Why do you people insist on constantly bugging me?"

"We insist," Daichi said in his sternest tone, "because we want to know why you transferred!"

"Why... why I transferred?" Kageyama repeated, face quizzically confused.

And then he did something no one could have expected.

He burst out into laughter. His shoulders shook and he held his sides.

"Why I bloody transferred?" he got out through giggles. "Why wouldn't I transfer after the way you treated me? Ignoring me, beating me up every day after practice – none of this applies to you guys, though, Sugawara-san, Asahi-san – not even bothering to listen to why I fumbled that match? No wonder I left, huh?"

Sugawara's eyes flew wide and Asahi looked shocked on hearing the words 'beating me up'.

"Wait... what?" Daichi spat. "Beating you up?"

Kageyama looked startled for a split second, and then his expression morphed into a sly grin.

"Oh, you didn't put them up to it? That's a juicy little titbit."

"Put who up to what?" Daichi was visibly shaking now.

"Why don't you ask Ennoshita, Hinata and Tsukishima? I'm sure they'll know all about it, seeing as they  _were_  the ones – oh, no, I've given away too much!" Kageyama declared dramatically, acting as if he were scared for his life. "They told me if I told anyone, I'd have – wait, what was it again? Of course, right. 'Hell to pay,' they said." he quoted sardonically, all scared manner dissipating like a cloud of mist, and then his expression hardened. The named three turned pale and began to shake in their shoes at the piercing looks being shot their way by both Daichi and Kageyama.

"You people are all idiots. Oikawa-senpai has taught me so much more than I could ever learn by myself or with you guys. Asahi-san, your talk that day really, really inspired me, and I'm going to follow exactly that. I've had so many amazing experiences in the short time I've been on the Aoba Johsai side, and I don't intend to come back to Karasuno. I am going to be the best volleyball player ever; I'm going to make Aoba Johsai a household name for high school volleyball, and you people – the ones who tossed me away like I was trash – are going to regret what you did to me."

And with that final parting shot, Kageyama left, walking leisurely out of the gymnasium, where the Karasuno team could faintly see the outlines of the Aoba Johsai players waiting outside for the young setter.

Asahi and Sugawara smiled wistfully. They were a little sad that Kageyama had left the Karasuno side, but on the whole they were happy for him, because they knew that that transfer was what had saved him from spiralling into an endless pit of depression.

But the rest of the team just stared at Kageyama's retreating back, dressed in the Aoba Johsai colours instead of the Karasuno jacket that should have been there. They had made too many mistakes, and they had paid the price for it by losing one of their best players.

Their old teammate was no longer a tiny, flightless, hurt little crow.

No, now Tobio Kageyama was a graceful, soaring young eagle, flying head and shoulders above the rest of the birds with his pack.

And the Flightless Ravens, forced to stand on the ground watching, could do nothing about it.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are welcomed with open arms. :)


End file.
